Productivity software may generally be categorized as software that simplifies editing digital information e.g., file management software for managing files and directories, word processing software for editing documents dominated by text, spreadsheet software for editing spreadsheets, code editors for editing the instructions of a software program. Many of these systems provide mechanisms for users to record and preserve comments on the digital information.
For some digital information, these comments comprise documentation for audits and other retrospective purposes. Historically, such commenting features are voluntary, i.e., the user editing the document makes a decision as to whether to associate a comment with the document. Further, comment entry mechanisms are not automatically triggered or event-driven. The user decides when to create and on what to apply a comment, thus adding to the documentation that may be useful for retrospective purposes.
However, this creates a problem when the user fails to voluntarily enter a comment in a place where such a comment would be needed or even required. For example, in a financial document such as a spreadsheet, an important value may be changed. It may be highly desirable to know the basis for the value change—however, if the user neglects to add a comment, valuable and possibly necessary information about the change is lost. Given this problem, a way is needed to require a mandatory comment that persists with the document or digital information when certain actions take place.